Glass grinding machine



June 5, 1934. H. J. HAMANN GLASS GRINDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 5, 1950 INVENTOR Henry J'Hamann IE :1 E

BY A

ATTORNEY Patented June 5, 1934 UNITED STATES."

GLASS GRINDING MACHINE Henry J. Hamann, Toledo, Ohio, minor to Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 3, 1930, Serial No. 486,109

9Claims.

This invention relates broadly to glass grinding machines and is more particularly directed to improvements in that type of grinding machine commonly known as the Weber edging machine as I exemplified in Patent No. 1,680,920, issued August 14, 1928, wherein the edges of a plurality of glass sheets are simultaneously ground and polished by supporting them in a substantially vertical position and passing them in a definite substantially horizontal path continuously over and in engagement with a series of rotatable grinding and polishing elements in the form of grooved wheels. In this specification, the term glass is used in its generic sense to designate either plate glass, laminated glass or substances of similar characteristics.

An important object of the present invention is to provide novel and improved means for supporting and guiding the glass sheets during the grinding and polishing thereof and also during their passage from one surfacing element to the next, said supporting and guiding means being adjustable in such a manner that curved as well as straight edges can be formed upon the sheets during the surfacing thereof.

Another object of the invention is the provision of sheet supporting and guiding means of the above character also adjustable in such a manner that the degree of curvature formed upon the sheet edge may be varied as desired and further, wherein the grinding and polishing of a curved edge can be effected just as efficiently, expeditiously and economically as a straight edge.

A further object of the invention is to provide sheet supporting and guiding means of the above character embodying a series of rollers forming a supporting runway for the glass sheets between adjacent surfacing elements, together with means for adjusting said rollers vertically relative to one another to determine the curvature of the sheet edge to be ground.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing forming a part of this application and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. l is a side elevation, partially in section, of a glass grinding machine constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation of a portion of the sheet supporting and guiding means, and

Fig. 3 is a similar section of another portion of the sheet supportng arid guiding means.

There has been illustrated in the drawing and will therefore be described herein only those portions of a Weber edge grinding machine which are necessary to a complete understanding of the present invention and for a more specific disclo- 60 sure of this type of machine, attention is directed to the patent mentioned above.

In its preferred embodiment, the glass grinding machine herein provided is constructed of a plurality of unit sections A, B, C, etc. removably secured together end to end so that any desired number of sections may be used, dependent upon the number of grinding and/ or polishing elements or wheels the work requires. Each unit section is composed of end members 5 and 6 connected by longitudinally extending braces '7, to which frame members runway supports 8 are secured. Carried by the runway supports 8 are horizontally arranged channel irons 9, theupper edges of the side portions 10 and 11 of which constitute guide rails along which the pusher blocks 12 are slid. The pusher blocks 12 are provided with a plurality of slots within which the glass sheets 13 fit. As pointed out above, the pusher blocks 12 slide along upon the channel irons 9 and are moved forwardly to advance the glass sheets by means of an endless sprocket chain 14, said sprocket chain engaging lugs 15 on the said pusher blocks.

Each unit section A, B, C, etc. is provided with a sub-frame 16 mounted at one end on' the shaft 17 and adjustably supported at its opposite end upon adjusting elements 18 threaded upwardly through a supporting member 19. The subframe 16 is adjustably supported so that the height 'or position of the grinding and polishing elements or wheels 20 carried thereby may be accurately and closely regulated. Each surfacing wheel is keyed to a shaft 21 journaled'in bearings 22 supported upon the sub-frame and is driven by any preferred means. The lower portions of the surfacing wheels operate within receptacles 23 which are adapted to. contain a suitable grinding or polishing medium, while the upper portions of the wheels project upwardly 10. through slots in the-bottom of channel irons 9.

Positioned within the channel irons at opposite sides of each surfacing wheel 20 are the-stationary supporting blocks 24 and 25 and carried by each block is a pad or mat 26 preferably 106 constructed-of rubber or a like soft resilient material. The grinding and polishing wheels 20 are provided with a plurality of grooves 2'1 as illustrated in Fig. 2 and the mats 26 are similarly grooved so that the grooves therein align with no and form an extension of the grooves 27 formed in the surfacing wheels.

Also mounted within the channel irons.9 between adjacent mats 26 are a series of rollers 28 which constitute a supporting and guiding run way for the glass sheets from one surfacing wheel to the next. These rollers are provided with a plurality of grooves 34 which are in alignment with the grooves in the mats 26 and surfacing wheels 20. Each roller 28 is freely mounted upon a transverse pifi 29 extending therethrough and carrying at its inner end a nut 30'while its opposite end extends forwardly through a vertical slot 31 in the side portion 10 of the channel iron and has threaded thereupon outwardly thereof a nut 32. With such a construction, itwill be readily seen that the rollers 28 can be raised and lowered as desired by simply loosening the nuts 32. Also, the rollers can be adjusted transversely of the channel irons by increasing or decreasing the number of shims 33 so as to bring the grooves in the rollers in registry with respect to the grooves in the surfacing elements and mats.

When it is desired to grind a straight edge upon the glass sheets 13, the rollers 28 are arranged in horizontal alignment with one another in such a fashion that the grooves therein are also in hori-- zontal alignment with the grooves in the surfacing elements 20 and mats 26. When this is done, the bottom edges of the sheets will be ground straight as the said sheets are moved over the surfacing wheels. However, in accordance with the present invention, it is possible by adjusting the rollers 28 relative to one another vertically, to grind curved edges on the glass sheets as well as straight edges. Furthermore, either regular or irregular curves can be ground according to the manner in which the rollers are adjusted. The manner in which the rollers 28 should be adjusted to effect the grinding of a curved edge is believed to be clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 and, by changing the positions of the rollers, the degree of curvature may be varied.

By way of illustrating the operation of the present invention, the series of rollers 28 between any two adjacent surfacing elements 20 may be divided into two groups D and E, the group D constituting an approach runway for the surfacing wheel F, and the group E a departure runway for the preceding surfacing wheel G, the upper surfaces of the rollers of the approach runway D curving downwardly to wheel F, with the upper surfaces of the rollers E curving upwardly away from wheel G. The rollers of the approach runway to each grinding and polishing wheel are arranged in the same manner and likewise, the rollers of the departure runway for each wheel are also arranged in the same manner. When it is desired to grind a regular curve on the glass sheet, the rollers of the approach runways and departure runways are so arranged that the upper surfaces thereof form the same curve but conversely with respect to one another. -0n the other hand, in the event an irregular curve is desired or, in other words, an edge having a curve at one side of the longitudinal center of the sheet differently from its curvature at the other side, the rollers of the approach runway will be adjusted differently from the rollers of the departure runway. The surfacing wheels 20 are at all times maintained in such a position that the grooves therein are on a level with the groove in mats 26.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be edge or a curved edge of a plate of glass, the combination of grinding means upon which the glass is partially supported on edge while being ground, supporting runways at opposite sides of the grinding means cooperating therewith to guidingly support said plate of glass during grinding, each runway including a horizontally arranged series of rollers, and means for adjusting said rollers vertically relative to one another to form either a straight runway for grinding a straight edge or a curved runway for grinding a curved edge.

2. In a machine for grinding either'a straight edge or a curved edge of a plate of glass, the combination of grinding means upon which the glass is partially supported on edge while being ground,

supporting runways at opposite sides of the grinding means cooperating therewith to guidingly support said plate of glass during grinding, each runway including a series of horizontally arranged rollers, and means for adjusting the rollers vertically to bring them either into horizontal alignment with one another or to bring certain of said rollers to a greater height than other rollers depending upon whether a straight edge or a curved edge is to be ground.

3. In a machine for grinding an edge of a plate of glass, the combination of a grinding element having a groove formed in its periphery, stationary supporting members arranged at opposite sides of the grinding element and each having a guiding groove formed therein located substantially on a level with the groove in said grinding element, supporting runways positioned adjacent the supporting members, each supporting runway having a guiding groove formed therein, said grinding element, supporting members and runways cooperating to guidingly support the plate of glass during grinding, and means for adjusting the runways vertically to vary the curvature of the upper surfaces thereof.

4. In a machine for grinding an edge of a plate of glass, the combination of a grinding element having a groove formed in its periphery, stationary supporting members arranged at opposite sides of the grinding element and each having a guiding groove formed therein located substantially on a level with the groove in said grinding element, supporting runways positioned adjacent the supporting members, each supporting runway having a guiding groove formed therein, said grinding element, supporting members and runways cooperating to guidingly support the plate of glass during grinding, and means for adjusting certain portions of the runways vertically to a v greater height than other portions.

5. In a machine for grinding an edge of a plate of glass, the combination of a grinding element having a groove formed in its periphery, stationary supporting members arranged at opposite including a series of rollers, each having a guiding groove therein cooperating with the grinding element and stationary members to guidingly support the plate of glass on edge during grinding, and means for adjusting the rollers of each runway vertically to vary the curvature of the upper surfaces of said runways.

6. In a machine for grinding an edge of a plate of glass, the combination of a grinding element having a groove formed in its periphery, stationary supporting members arranged at opposite sides of the grinding element and each having a guiding groove formed therein located substantially on a level with the groove in said grinding element, supporting runways positioned adjacent the supporting members, each supporting runway including a series of rollers, each having a guiding groove therein and cooperating with the grinding element and stationary members to guidingly support the plate of glass on edge during grinding, and means for adjusting certain of the rollers of each runway vertically to a greater height than other of said rollers.

7. In a machine for grinding either a straight edge or a curved edge of a plate of glass, the combination of a grinding element having a groove formed in its periphery, supporting runways positioned at opposite sides of the grinding element, each supporting runway including a series of rollers, each havinga guiding groove therein 00- operating with the grinding element to guidingly support the plate of glass on edge during grinding, and means for adjusting the rollers of each runway vertically to form a runway having either a straight upper surface for grinding a straight edge or a curved upper surface for grinding a curved edge.

8. In a machine for grinding either a straight edge or a curved edge of a plate of glass, the combination of a grinding element having a groove formed in its periphery, supporting runways positioned at opposite sides of the grinding element, each supporting runway including a series of rollers, each having a guiding groove therein cooperating with the grinding element to guidingly support the plate of glass on edge during grinding, and means for adjusting the rollers of each runway vertically to bring them either into horizontal alignment with one another or to bring certain of the rollers to a greater height than other of said rollers depending upon whether a straight edge or a curved edge is to be ground.

9. The method of grinding and/ or polishing either a straight edge or a curved edge of a sheet or plate or glass, on the same machine, which consists in supporting the glass plate on edge in a substantially vertical position, in advancing the plate continuously forwardly over and in engagement with a surfacing element, and in causing the bottom edge of said plate to be moved through either a straight path or a curved path during the advancing of the said plates forwardly over and in engagement with said surfacing element depending upon whether a straight edge or a curved edge is to be surfaced.

HENRY J. HAMANN. 

